I want to be an interior designer, but it will be a career change…?

I am currently a computer teacher at a middle school. This is my fourth year. I’m 28. My bachelor’s degree is in Education. I have a master’s but it’s in Information Systems & Management (none of it is related to design except for like database design or organizational design).

I don’t even know where to start. I know I should read up on interior design in general, but I need to know what someone my age can do to get there more quickly than a four-year bachelor’s degree. I have limited time, so doing online classes is preferable over attending a class.

I also want to know if there’s money in it. If I could make what I do now I’d be fine (probably not right off the bat I realize, but maybe after a couple years’ experience). And, would I work for a company? What about benefits? I have amazing benefits right now so I’m scared to leave.

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Congratulations on knowing what you want to do (at least at this point in your life). Unfortunately, I don’t believe there is a short track to this profession. To be an interior designer, one usually needs a college degree and some additional training that can be gained during apprenticeship. Although you do have one, it is not in designing. However, it may be enough to get you where you need to be in addition to some of the training that is offered by some of the professional design schools (I can’t be sure but you may want to make sure that you explore using as much your education as you can). Also be advised that 23 states and D.C. require licensure.

Check with some of the professional design schools to see what you can do. Also the median salary for interior designers in 2006 was about 43,000.

Good Luck on your career change. Be a little patient…you’ll get there.

It’s not really an answer, but I understand your pressures, frustrations and fears. It’s natural. How we handle our inner self determines our actions and thus our “true merit”. I sad to report that I usually fall pretty short of this lofty expectation. However, the effort alone allows for the occasional glimpse of eternity in entirety.